Roommate


                                            >PLOP!

                                            >Anon, the local human, grumbles and mumbles to himself on his hands and knees in his bathtub at his log cabin.

                                            >He silently curses as he pulls out more and more disgusting clumps of cyan blue feathers and rainbow colored hair glued together with soap scum out of the drain, and drops it into the small waste bin besides him.

                                            >PLOP!

                                            >Rainbow Dash has been living with Anon for the last month while her cloud mansion is being gassed out to get rid of a parasprite infestation.

                                            >Anon thought nothing of it when he offered his guest room to her.

                                            >She's a national hero after all, she must be a responsible adult, right? What could go wrong?

                                            >PLOP!

                                            >Everything.

                                            >Every damn thing.

                                            >It's like living with a teenager, but worse because she has the life experience of being an adult to come up with reasons for her sloppiness.

                                            >Every day she comes up with a different version of the same few excuses.

                                            >She's a pony living in a home built for a human.

                                            >She's a national hero who just came back from saving the world again.

                                            >Wonderbolts training was extra hard, and so now she's too sore.

                                            >Her friends needed her help today elsewhere and she didn't have the time.

                                            >Anon tries his best to be nice and to forgive.

                                            >She's a friend of his too after all, and she doesn't exactly have the choice to go back home for a little while longer.

                                            >PLOP!

                                            >But God damn it if Anon has to unclog the shower drain one more time.

                                            >Clean the dishes one more time.

                                            >Put food away one more time.

                                            >Close doors one more time-

                                            >Knock knock knock.

                                            >"Yo! Anon! Are you done in there yet? I gotta use the throne!"


                                            >Anon closes his eyes and counts to five.

                                            >Breathe in.

                                            >Breathe out.

                                            "YEAH, DASH, JUST A MINUTE!"

                                            >PLOP!

                                            >Anon sets the waste bin off to the side, stands up, and climbs out of the tub.

                                            >He washes his hands and opens the door.

                                            >Rainbow Dash stands there, wings twitching, her hind legs crossed, doing that little dance in place.

                                            >She pushes past him and into the bathroom.

                                            >"Finally!" She groans.

                                            >Anon watches as the door slams shut behind him.

                                            >He stands there lingering for a moment, chewing on his tongue, breathing slowly.

                                            >Before he can think of what new orientation he'd like to strangle her in today, his stomach grumbles. He sighs.

                                            >Deciding to take the opportunity for a break, Anon walks down the hall and towards the kitchen.

                                            "Tonight, we're having a talk."


                                            >Anon stands in the doorway to the kitchen, ready to make himself something for dinner.

                                            >Only to discover that while he was cleaning the tub, Rainbow also made herself something to eat too, leaving the kitchen turned upside down in the process.

                                            >Anon's eye twitches.

                                            >Behind him, the bathroom door opens with the sound of a flush-

                                            >But not the sound of a sink running.

                                            >God damn it.

                                            >He storms his way back through the hall towards the bathroom again.

                                            >Rainbow steps through the doorway of the bathroom, the toilet seat still left up behind her.

                                            >Anon reaches down, grabs her by the wing knowing damn well it hurts and leads her towards the kitchen.

                                            >"Ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow! H- Hey, what gives, dude?!"

                                            >Anon doesn't answer yet, he just marches.

                                            >Rainbow stumbles along awkwardly besides him as she's dragged away like a misbehaving puppy.

                                            >He stops in the doorway of the kitchen and simply points.

                                            >Rainbow follows his finger.

                                            >Cabinets left open in the hunt for which one has the plates because she somehow forgot again.

                                            >A jar of peanut butter with the lid off sits on the counter, butter knife still inside.

                                            >Plates stacked next to the sink, one of them still holding a half eaten sandwich.

                                            >The ice box door not closed all the way.

                                            >A carton of milk on the counter, sweating besides a freshly made bowl of cereal not yet eaten.

                                            >A loaf of bread halfway out of the bag.

                                            >The step stool he made just for her not put back in the corner.


                                            >Anon lets go of her wing.

                                            >She folds it back in with a wince.

                                            >Rainbow rubs the back of her neck with a hoof.

                                            >She chuckles nervously.

                                            >"Uh, heh. Yeah. I was /gonna/ clean this up. Like, after I finish business, y'know?"

                                            >Anon points back to the bathroom.

                                            "You didn't even wash your hooves."

                                            >Rainbow's ears fold back slightly.

                                            >"Okay, but /technically/, wings aren't hooves, so..."

                                            "Rainbow Dash."

                                            >She closes her mouth and flinches into a more alert stance.

                                            >Anon breathes slowly again.

                                            >He pinches the bridge of his nose.

                                            "You're cleaning this. Right now. /Before/ you sit your blue ass on /anything else/ in this house."

                                            >Rainbow nods slowly, her gaze returning to the kitchen.

                                            "Close the ice box. Put the food away. Put the dirty dishes in the sink. Return the clean ones to the cabinets."

                                            >She sighs. "Okay. I'm sorry."

                                            >Anon lets out a breath.

                                            "Thank you." Anon says, turning and leaving to continue cleaning the bathroom.


                                            >Rainbow grumbles and mumbles to herself as she stands on the step stool, leaning over the sink.

                                            >She silently curses to herself as she sets a clean plate aside and reaches for the next dirty one to scrub.

                                            >Anon returns to the kitchen after a few minutes to check on her progress.

                                            >He stops in the doorway and leans against the wall, crossing his arms.

                                            "Dash. You and I need to talk."

                                            >She stops scrubbing and turns her head to look at him. Her ears droop slightly again.

                                            "You're my friend, right?" Anon begins calmly.

                                            >Rainbow recognizes that tone of voice. It's almost too polite.

                                            >"Y- yeah..."

                                            "You’ve been staying here for a month now."

                                            >"Yeah?"

                                            "You eat my food."

                                            >"Yeah..."

                                            "You use my shower."

                                            >"Yeah..."

                                            "You sleep under my roof."

                                            >"Yeah..."

                                            >He pushes off of the wall and takes a step forward.

                                            "You clog my drains."

                                            >Rainbow winces. "Okay, but-"

                                            "You leave your feathers /everywhere/."

                                            >Rainbow looks at the floor. Sure enough, there's a few feathers accumulated in a corner.

                                            "You treat this place like a Wonderbolts locker room on hayburger night."

                                            >Rainbow sighs. "Look, I said I was sorry about-"

                                            "I am not done."

                                            >Her wings twitch again.

                                            "You don’t flush properly half the time. You don't wash your hooves. You leave food out. You leave doors open. You leave towels on the floor."

                                            >Anon gestures broadly to the kitchen that's still a mess.

                                            "You are a guest. You are my friend. You are a grown pony, not a teenage raccoon."

                                            >Rainbow pouts. "I said I was gonna clean-"

                                            "And yet I’ve heard that before. Just like I heard 'I’ll wash my plate later'. Just like I heard 'I’ll fix it in the morning'. Just like I heard 'Oops, my bad, I’ll remember next time'."


                                            >Rainbow puts the dish down slowly.

                                            >She turns fully to face him.

                                            >She sighs. "Alright, fine. I get it. You’re mad."

                                            >Anon kneels down to her eye level.

                                            "No, Dash. I’m tired."

                                            >Rainbow frowns.

                                            Anon continues. "I’m tired of having two full time jobs. One of them pays the bills," He leans in slightly. "The other is spent cleaning up after /you/."

                                            >She scuffs the counter with a hoof. "...I didn’t mean to make more work for you."

                                            "I know you didn’t." Anon finally relents. "But that’s the problem. You didn’t think."

                                            >Water drips slowly from the plates still in the sink.

                                            Anon sighs. "Dash. You’re staying here until your house is fixed. I understand that part. I offered to let you stay here and I meant it. But I can’t keep doing everything for you. You need to respect the fact that this is my home."

                                            >A moment passes.

                                            >Rainbow looks up.

                                            >"I'll try harder."

                                            >Anon nods slowly.

                                            "Thank you. Finish the kitchen, and then I want you to sweep the living room."

                                            >Rainbow groans but nods.

                                            >Anon turns to leave, but pauses.

                                            "And wash your damn hooves after you’re done."

                                            >Rainbow grumbles. "Yeah yeah yeah. Sheesh, you're worse than Twilight."

                                            >Anon smirks.


                                            >Eventually, Rainbow finishes with the kitchen and living room.

                                            >Feeling a little dirty and sweaty, she decides to take a shower.

                                            >She walks down the hall towards the bathroom, opens the door-

                                            >And Anon is already waiting for her inside.

                                            >He smiles.

                                            "Great. Now you're going to learn how to unclog the drain. I will not be hearing the 'but I don't have fingers' excuse again. We have tools for that."

                                            >Anon holds up a drain snake and a bottle of chemical cleaner.

                                            "Take your shower, get yourself clean, then clean the drain. If you don't know how to use a drain snake, there's instructions written for you."

                                            >Rainbow stands there, her mouth hanging open.

                                            >Her wings twitch.

                                            >"Y- you were just /waiting/ in here?!"

                                            >Anon smiles.

                                            >Anon leans against the counter, setting the snake and drain cleaner down behind him. He crosses his arms.

                                            "Yup. I had a feeling this would be your next stop."

                                            >Rainbow stares at him for a moment before dragging a wing down her face. She groans loudly.

                                            >"Seriously, dude? Can't this wait until /after/ I'm done with my shower?"

                                            >Anon nods.

                                            "It /is/ after. After you're done clogging the drain with /your/ feathers again. The drain that I just cleared for you less than an hour ago."

                                            >Rainbow flaps her wings defiantly.

                                            >"It's not my fault! It's like, I dunno, biology, or something!"

                                            Anon shakes his head. "I don't care, I got biology too." He tilts his head slightly. "I do my part. How do you think other ponies do it? Do you think I go and clean their drains for them too?"

                                            >Rainbow steps inside, groaning even louder.

                                            >"Uuuugh! Fine!"

                                            >Rainbow steps over to the tub, turns the water on and stands there.

                                            >Anon hasn't moved.

                                            >She turns to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

                                            >"Are you just gonna /stand there/?"

                                            >Anon nods.

                                            "Yup. Because I know that if I don't, you'll just half-ass it."

                                            >Rainbow's face slowly turns red, half because of embarrassment, half because of anger.

                                            >She stomps a hoof.

                                            >"F- fine! Just- Just turn around or something!"

                                            >Anon chuckles but turns around anyway.

                                            >Rainbow shakes her head, her wings half flared in annoyance.

                                            >She tests the temperature of the water with a wing and steps in.

                                            >"Pervert."

                                            "Plumber. Besides, it's nothing I haven't seen before anyways."

                                            >Her face turns even more red. She scrubs her coat harder and lets out a feral snort.


                                            "Am I gonna hear more complaints about not having fingers?"

                                            >"No..."

                                            "Am I gonna hear excuses for why you can't fold your towel?"

                                            >"No..."

                                            "Am I gonna hear-"

                                            >"Alright alright! I get it! Sheesh!" She barks out, wings flaring and slapping the curtain.

                                            >Anon smiles, still facing the wall.

                                            >He turns his head slightly.

                                            "You /sure/? Because I got a /whole list/ here ready for ya."

                                            >Rainbow grits her teeth as a drop of shampoo drips into her eye.

                                            >"I said I got it!"

                                            Anon keeps going. "Do you? Because this morning, you said your laundry basket looked 'too heavy'."

                                            >She stomps a hoof in the tub, causing the bar of soap to fall off the shelf, bonking her on the head.

                                            >"YES! I DO!"

                                            >Anon grins.

                                            "Alright. Just making sure."

                                            >She groans loudly again, letting out another feral snort.

                                            >"You know, Spitfire isn't as much of a pain in the flank as what /you're/ being right now."

                                            "That's because she doesn't have to teach her team of Wonderbolts how to perform the physics defying trick of learning basic hygiene maintenance."

                                            >Rainbow rinses off, flicking a little water off her wing at him on purpose.

                                            >"Fine! Fine! No more excuses! Just give me that snake thingy already!"


                                            >Rainbow holds a wing over her muzzle as she turns the crank handle on the drain snake.

                                            >Anon kneels besides the tub, elbow resting on the edge.

                                            >He rubs his face in an attempt to hide his grin.

                                            "So. What's your favorite part so far? Is it the feathers or the wads of hair?"

                                            >She swallows her sandwich again. Her body shivers.

                                            >"Eugh! I think it just touched something /alive/!"

                                            >She groans as she pulls the snake out. A clump of feathers and rainbow hair attached to the end.

                                            >"Sweet Celestia, why does it /smell/? Is this your idea of /revenge/ or something?"

                                            "Nope. Not revenge. Education. I want you to remember what we went through today the next time you want to 'leave it for later'."

                                            >Anon hands over the waste bin as Rainbow dangles the ball of horror on the end of the snake like a cursed fishing line.

                                            >PLOP!

                                            >Her wing clamps over her mouth harder.

                                            >"Can't I just buy you a new drain or something?"

                                            >Anon raises an eyebrow.

                                            "Do you buy a new cloud every time you spill a bowl of cereal?"

                                            >Rainbow answers with another snort.

                                            >Anon takes the drain snake from her and puts the waste bin back next to the toilet.

                                            >Rainbow shivers one last time before stepping out of the tub.

                                            >Anon pats her on the shoulder.

                                            "Thank you, Dashie. You were a big help today." She pouts. "Now, I'm gonna give you a choice."

                                            >She glares up at him. "What now?"

                                            >Anon smiles warmly this time.

                                            "Do you want ice cream, or cookies?"

                                            >Rainbow's scowl instantly vanishes.

                                            >Her wings give another involuntary flutter.

                                            >She squints her eyes, but Anon's smile hasn't changed.

                                            >"Seriously?"

                                            Anon nods. "Seriously. You did your chores like a big mare. That deserves a reward."

                                            >She squints harder. "What's the catch? You say cookies, but somehow that means I have to... I dunno, mop the ceiling or something."

                                            He shakes his head. "No catch. Ice cream or cookies. Perhaps both if you think you've /really/ earned it."

                                            >Anon stands up and turns to walk out of the bathroom.

                                            >Rainbow stands still for a moment before a smile inevitably spreads to her face. She follows him out, her step a little lighter.

                                            >"I think ice cream sounds good. But I want the good kind. The one with the chocolate chips in it."


                                            >Anon and Rainbow sit on the sofa eating ice cream.

                                            >Rainbow holds the bowl and spoon in her wings while she flips through pages of her Daring Do book with her forehooves.

                                            >Anon leans over.

                                            "So. Where do used dishes go when you're done using them?"

                                            >She almost glares, but lets out a defeated sigh.

                                            >"The sink."

                                            >Anon raises a finger and opens his mouth.

                                            >"After I wash it." Rainbow blurts out.

                                            >Anon smiles and pats her head.

                                            "Good. Thank you, Dashie."

                                            >Rainbow huffs, but she doesn't pull away from the head pats.

                                            >"Yeah, yeah. I'm learning. Slowly."

                                            >Anon idly scratches her scalp.

                                            "One step at a time. That's all it takes. You'll get there."

                                            >Rainbow shoves another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth as she squints at a particularly long word in her book.

                                            >Anon lowers his hand and pets her shoulder, rubbing circles in her fur with his thumb.

                                            >A few moments pass.

                                            >"Thanks, Anon." She begins again suddenly. Anon tilts his head. "For putting up with me."

                                            He smiles again. "You're very welcome, Dashie. That's what friends are for."

                                            >She turns her head and looks at him. She returns the smile.

                                            "Just don't forget to wash that bowl."

                                            >Rainbow elbows him with a wing.


                                            >The next day.

                                            >The late morning sun shines through the window and across Rainbow's face.

                                            >She groans awake, instantly upset at the realization that the blinds aren't closed like she had them last night.

                                            >She tosses and turns in an attempt to hide her face from the light.

                                            >Eventually, she gives up with a loud sigh and pushes her blankets off.

                                            >She rolls out of bed with a yawn and steps over the debris of laundry and plates on the floor as she makes her way to close the blinds again.

                                            >She rubs her eyes with a wing and trips over the debris of laundry and plates on the floor as she makes her way to the door.

                                            >A note is taped to the inside.

                                            "Dash-

                                            I am at Sweet Apple Acres helping the Apple family install new flooring in their living room.

                                            Today's chores:

                                            1.) Clean your room. Put your dirty uniforms in the hamper and the clean ones in the closet. Put dishes, toys, and books away.

                                            2.) Clean the bathroom after you use it. Wipe down the counter and mirror. Wash your hooves.

                                            3.) Clean the kitchen after you use it. Put food and dishes away where they belong.

                                            One two three ezpz.

                                            I will be having dinner at their house, will be back late tonight."

                                            >Rainbow reads the note through half lidded eyes. She groans.

                                            >"Chores? Again?"

                                            >She sticks out her tongue and marches back to bed.

                                            >She scowls at the ceiling, mentally preparing how much work all that is going to take.

                                            >Clean the bedroom. Pick up uniforms and dishes. Books and toys can probably just be shoved under the bed.

                                            >Clean the bathroom. No big deal. Nothing can possibly be worse than that shower drain yesterday.

                                            >Clean the kitchen. No problem. Just make something light to eat this time. Don't leave the cabinets open.

                                            >Rainbow flops onto her side dramatically. She huffs.

                                            >"/One two three ezpz/." She mocks in her interpretation of his voice.

                                            >She exhales through her nose. The corners of her lips tug upwards anyways.

                                            >Anon could've been passive aggressive or taped the note to her forehead.

                                            >But he didn't.

                                            >He just wrote a basic list and trusted her to follow it.

                                            >Rainbow turns to her other side. She stares at the floor, still buried under a mountain of stuff. Her gaze shifts towards the note still taped to the door.

                                            >She takes a deep breath and exhales. She smiles.

                                            >"One two three, ezpz."


                                            >"Soup's on, everypony!" Granny Smith calls out into the living room from the kitchen.

                                            >Anon, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac collectively let out a sigh of relief.

                                            >Anon stretches his back, letting out a few pops and crackles, earning a tired giggle from Apple Bloom.

                                            "Good Lord, that cabinet was ready to kill me."

                                            >Applejack huffs. "Ah told ya, we should've taken it apart first."

                                            >Anon waves her off.

                                            "No, no, I like throwing my back out the old fashion way."

                                            >Applejack rolls her eyes with a chuckle. "Come on then, muscle monkey. Supper's ready, an' you /know/ how Granny feels about guests who let her cookin' get cold first."

                                            >"Cold?!" Granny calls out again. "Who in tarnation said my cookin's cold?! I just made the darn thing! It's gon' /get/ cold if y'all don't get your rumps in here lickety split!"

                                            >Applejack and Anon share a glance and stifle a laugh.

                                            "Alright, alright, let's go."

                                            >Anon follows the others into the other room and sit down at the dining table.

                                            "'Muscle monkey'?" Anon chuckles as he looks at Applejack across the table. "Who came up with that one?"

                                            >Applejack smiles and opens her mouth to answer.

                                            >"Ah did!" Apple Bloom cheers as she pulls out a chair next to Anon, slapping a couple of books down onto it.

                                            >Applejack closes her mouth to stifle another laugh.

                                            Anon smiles. "You did, huh?" He asks, leaning over to help her up onto the chair easier. "What gave you the idea? Was it the part when I moved that cabinet by myself, or when I had to lift a certain silly filly off of the couch I needed to move?"

                                            >Apple Bloom beams and giggles. "All of it! Without yer help, I couldn't /imagine/ gettin' any of what we did done in a single day!" She tilts her head thoughtfully. "How're ya so good at helpin' folk, Anon? I wanna be like you when I grow up!"

                                            >Anon's smile turns warmer as he takes a longer look at Apple Bloom.

                                            "You wanna know how, huh?" She nods furiously. He smirks and flexes his arms dramatically. "Well, if it weren't for the fact that I'm secretly a super hero, it'd be /really/ difficult."

                                            >Apple Bloom squints her eyes but still smiles. "No! Y'ain't no super hero!"

                                            Anon snaps his fingers and scoffs. "Darn! And I had the perfect new name to write on my suit..." He chuckles. "Alright, alright, you caught me. I'm good at helping ponies because I had a family who loved to help /me/ in return. Just like what you have." He gestures to the others. "You wanna grow up just like me someday?" He continues, still looking at the rest of the table. "Well, I'd say you're already half way there."

                                            >Apple Bloom's eyes sparkle as she turns her attention to her family. "Really?"

                                            >"Really really." Applejack replies instantly.


                                            >Apple Bloom pauses and looks at the table with a furrowed brow. "Does that ever get hard? Helping ponies?"

                                            >Anon takes another long look at her.

                                            >His mind goes elsewhere for a moment, wondering if Rainbow Dash has completed any of her chores yet. He only hopes that a list of only three things wasn't too much for her.

                                            He sighs. "Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes there will be a pony who may be more difficult to help than others."

                                            >Apple Bloom tilts her head. "What'dya mean?"

                                            "Well, not everypony knows how to take care of things on their own. And when that happens, they make mistakes."

                                            >Apple Bloom tilts her head. "So do ya just tell 'em?"

                                            Anon smiles and shakes his head. "Nope. Some ponies can't be told things. You gotta use a different kind of muscle for that." He taps his temple. "Let's take the example I'm working with right now. Rainbow Dash has been living with me for the past month while her house gets de-parasprited."

                                            >Apple Bloom giggles. "That ain't a word!"

                                            Anon smiles. "It is now! Now, Rainbow Dash doesn't always remember turn the lights off when she leaves a room. And the problem is that she tends to forget /often enough/ to start coming up with excuses for why that is. That's because she never thought about why it's important in the first place. Nopony taught her that part."

                                            >Apple Bloom slowly nods, her mouth making an o shape.

                                            "So does that mean I should 'help' her by turning the lights off for her every time?"

                                            >Apple Bloom furrows her brow. "Heck no!"

                                            Anon pokes her in the shoulder. "So what should I do instead?"

                                            >"You... help her help herself?" She puzzles.

                                            "Right! Instead, it would help her /a lot more/ to teach her /why/ it's important to turn lights off when you're not using them. If you can help somepony understand /why/ something matters, they'll learn how to do it right on their own."

                                            >Apple Bloom giggles. "That'd sure be embarrassin' to go your whole life not knowin' how to flush a toilet right because somepony never taught ya!"

                                            >Anon chokes.

                                            "Yeah, it sure would, wouldn't it." He says too quickly.

                                            >Applejack across the table snorts. "She /that bad/?"

                                            >Anon simply turns his head with a look.

                                            >She smirks harder.


                                            >The dining room quiets down to only the sounds of silverware tapping gently against plates and bowls.

                                            >Anon's chair squeaks a tiny bit as he leans back, letting his spoon down to wipe his hands with a napkin.

                                            >He exhales.

                                            "I wonder if I was too hard on Dash yesterday."

                                            >Applejack looks up. "How so?"

                                            Anon shrugs. "Well, I laid it on kinda thick. I made her finish all the chores she's been skipping. I wrote her a list this morning like she's a foal. I felt more like a Wonderbolt's sergeant than a friend."

                                            >Applejack's chair squeaks a tiny bit as he leans back, letting her spoon down to wipe her hooves with a napkin.

                                            >She exhales.

                                            >"Anon, let me tell ya somethin', mah Granny Smith taught me. 'Y'ain't bein' cruel just cause the truth don't taste like a sweet apple."

                                            >"That's right!" Granny cheers, toasting her glass.

                                            >Applejack continues. "Ponies like Dash can handle bein' told when they're wrong. What hurt's 'em is when yer whisperin' when they need you to be shoutin'."

                                            >Anon hums, considering.

                                            >"Havin' a friend let 'em keep messin' up cause they don't wanna ruffle feathers? That ain't kindess, that's just quittin' on 'em real quiet-like."

                                            >Anon interlaces his fingers and tilts his head slightly.

                                            "So I did do the right thing, even if it felt like I was being hard on her?"

                                            >Applejack tilts her hat back. "If it helps her in the long run? Darn right ya did." She smiles. "Ain't no shame in bein' honest with a friend if it means soundin' like a broken record at times."

                                            Anon smiles back. "Thanks, AJ."

                                            >"Any time, Muscle Monkey."


                                            >The crickets outside Anon's cabin chirp as he wipes his shoes on his door mat.

                                            >He opens the door, steps inside-

                                            >And stops dead in the doorway.

                                            >The living room is clean.

                                            >The clutter from the coffee table is gone.

                                            >The floor is swept and dusted.

                                            >The couch is fluffed and the pillows are put back where they go.

                                            >The dishes that were in the sink have been put away.

                                            >Anon steps further in, studying the place as if it's just a dream.

                                            "Rainbow?" He calls out. "I'm back."

                                            >A blue head wrapped in a towel peeks out of the bathroom door at the end of the hallway. She nods. "Sup."

                                            Anon raises an eyebrow. "I see that you... did your chores."

                                            >She smirks harder. "Sure did!" She preens a feather smugly. "And not just the list either, I did extra."

                                            Anon turns around in full circles, his face smiling wide. "Nice work, Dashie. I am indeed /very impressed/."

                                            >Rainbow walks past him and to the couch, climbing up onto it confidently.

                                            >"Told ya. When I do something, I /do it/." She stretches out, flicking her wings a bit.

                                            >Anon chuckles and shakes his head, heading towards the ice box.

                                            "I think you know what happens next, right?"

                                            >She turns her head and smirks harder. "Aw yeah. /Now we're talkin/."

                                            >Anon and Rainbow sit on the sofa eating ice cream.

                                            >Rainbow holds the bowl and spoon in her wings while she flips through pages of her Daring Do book with her forehooves.

                                            >She leans over and bumps his side with her shoulder.

                                            >"Thanks, dude. For everything."

                                            >Anon nudges his shoulder back.

                                            "Anytime, Dashie. Anytime."